







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| His name's Sergio. | |
| That's a good question! | |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
| How often do you have free time, then? | |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | |
| Isn't that funny? | |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | |
| How long does it usually take? | |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | |